The Awakened Ones
by natsumiirex
Summary: An expedition sent into the heart of the Himalayas in search of a lost valley... But some things are not meant to be found. With its discovery comes a darkness in the form of a mysterious substance, and the silence of the valley will be filled with screams. The word of Yalung will be heard, and the ones who hear Him will be Awakened. (Part of the Far Cry Chronicles Series)


**Disclaimer: All characters and Far Cry 4 belong to Ubisoft. The story is based on the DLC which belongs to Ubisoft.**

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Corporal Raju wiped sweat from his forehead with the end of his suit sleeve. He has been standing in the same spot for an hour now, and the sun was relentless in its purpose to shine down, baking anything underneath. The humidity wasn't helping either, the air sticky and uncomfortable, making it very hard to breath, and there was not a hint of wind to counter the heat. He had hoped the summer weather would not start until the end of next month, but in the dry lands, seasons arrived faster than anywhere else in Kyrat. He was not yet accustomed to this region, having been born and raised in the village of Utkarsh, where there are many rolling hills he would play on as a child, cool winds, and greenery as far as the eye can see. A complete polar opposite of where he is now.

About four months ago he was stationed in the front lines of their country's civil war, bordering the enclosed region where Banashur resided, and where the rebel's main base of operation was. Golden Path activity was a constant threat, and many of the soldiers slept lightly, ready to fight in a moment's notice. He himself preferred to sleep with a hand gun at arm's reach, and the habit stuck with him even after his relocation closer to the heart of the Royal Army, thousands of miles far from any action. They told him he was being promoted, and his new work position is equally as important as to what he was doing in the front lines. They said he is to train new recruits, and at first he didn't mind the job. In a way, he was still helping his country, maybe not like he wanted to, but he knew the process of making recruits into war ready soldiers was important to the continuation of their great army's success. And he was still very young, barely skimming thirty years old. He could start a family if he wanted to without the worry of him dying in battle, but the thought of him settling down lowered his spirits. A part of him still yearned to someday dive back into the chaos, to feel the vibration of his gun and hear the _Ra-ta-ta!_ of bullets in the air. He thinks it is the exhilaration he gets that he misses the most. Now, the only gunshots he hears are the ones aimed at dummy targets.

The Lhumtse training camp was plopped right in the middle of a wide flat land, surrounded by mountains in the east and the west in the Kyratese Uttar Region. Unlike the rest of Kyrat, this region was stripped of any green, leaving only bleak colors, with a stray green tree here and there. The grass was brownish orange and crunches when stepped on, same goes for the colors of the trees, and it is common for a wildfire to start due to everything being so dry. It was harsh on the eyes, and Raju decided that this area of Kyrat was the worst. It didn't help that wolves were the dominant predators there. He couldn't count how many times they had to deal with those vicious animals. The only good thing for their existence was that they were great target practice.

The camp was separated into two sections; the Lhumtse Barracks, and the Lhumtse training grounds. The barracks was established on a raised hill over-looking the training grounds, which was a ten minute walk down, less when driving. Today the training ground was more lively than usual, all for a good reason. A week ago Raju got a letter informing him that General Yuma was coming, for what reason was unknown, the letter didn't state, and it was more of a warning than anything else. Nevertheless, he made sure everyone was performing in tip-top shape, and not one mistake must be made during Yuma's arrival. He's never met the General in person, but from what he's heard, she is a person you don't want to mess with. Some of the soldiers even say that they'd rather face a honey badger with a stick than deal with Yuma. Raju could only hope that this checkup will be short and unremarkable.

He stood in his formal military suit, not something he would wear but today was a special occasion, and he wondered if he should have ordered for a meal to be made in case the General was hungry when one of the new recruits jogged up to him and told him a set of cars were coming down the road. Raju waved off the recruit and ushered to have the gates open for the cars. He straightened up and stood firmly with his arms glued to his sides. Beside him stood some of the camp's officers who too dressed up. Inside he was nervous, but he made sure that he looked at ease and professional on the outside.

Three red technical trucks all in a line drove through the gate and stopped in front of the Corporal and his officers. All of them had mounted machine guns in the bed of the truck, and the soldiers who controlled them stood behind the powerful weapons. The side passenger door of the middle truck swung open, and a black combat boot appeared, followed by another, and then Raju was looking at General Yuma. It wasn't her appearance that made him feel apprehensive, though that too was a rare sight to see, neon pink hair tied in a bun and held only by a chopstick, specifically tailored clothes with a collection of high awarded medals pinned to her military jacket, making the medals on his own suit look pitiful in comparison.

There was just an air around her, an aura that told everyone she was superior, but not in an arrogant manner, it was simply fact. If he was a kid, he would describe her as scary, and he was partially glad that he wasn't the only one nervous. The General walked with purpose in her stride, a calm yet serious look on her pale face. Raju saluted her instantaneously, the officers copying.

"Welcome, General Yuma." He said, trying but failing to look her in the eyes. He managed to, but those cold sharp eyes made him uncomfortable. There was just… something wrong with those eyes.

"I assume you are Corporal Raju Ganem?" She said, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Yes sir."

She glanced around slowly. "It is a fine establishment you have here, Corporal."

"Thank you, sir!" He said proudly, "It is all because of our great King Min's generous donation that we have the best materials to use for training our recruits. Our training statistics has never been higher." He held out his hand and one of the officer's handed him a manila folder containing records of performances in the camp. He gave it to Yuma, who took it and without a glance passed it to her assistant.

"I'm not here to look at percentages, Corporal." She said. Raju swallowed thickly, his throat dry all of a sudden. Had he done something wrong? He quickly went over the many possibilities he screwed up somewhere in his mind, but snapped out of it when the General spoke.

"Is that your office building?" She nodded toward the two story structure behind them.

"Yes sir." He said, and he was surprised that he even managed to answer.

"I only have business with Corporal Raju. The rest of you can return to your duties." Yuma said to the officers and started towards the building, her assistant right behind her. He went to follow her but bumped into something. Raju stepped back in surprise to see a masked man. He didn't even see him, and Raju wondered if he was there the whole time. How was it possible that he didn't notice this man? Especially with the way he dressed. Unlike regular military attire, he was cloaked with a ragged hood, and wore a weather controlled jacket with a thin bullet proof vest over it, and loose pants with many pockets, straps wrapped around the wrist, elbow, knee, and ankle area looked like it was done to keep air out. The man was armed to the teeth, and looked like he just got back from battle, or going to one. They stood there for a moment, and Raju remembered that the General was waiting for him and he went first, unnerved that he could not hear the masked man's footsteps.

Inside they sat down, or rather he, Yuma, and her assistant sat while the masked man leaned by the door. They were served Kyrat's finest tea fresh from the Kyra Tea Company headquarters, richly sweet with honey and very hot. As he took a sip from his cup, he glanced at the masked man, trying to remember why he was so familiar. He surely did not see him before, he would remember if he did. It came to him finally when he recalled a conversation he had with his fellow soldiers. Yuma's lapdog they called him. He's rarely seen in battle, and is always hiding in Yuma's shadow. A secret soldier, a personal one-man army, so the rumors are told. The man did look the part, and he sure was intimidating. A slight movement of the head, and Raju adverted his eyes, knowing he had been caught staring.

Across the table, Yuma leaned back in the chair, sitting with her legs in a figure-four position. "Do you know why I came here to talk with you?" Yuma said. He opened his mouth, but paused.

"No sir. I thought you were coming to do an inspection of the camp." He answered honestly. "The letter didn't state anything, so I assumed you were."

Yuma stared at him, and he tried his best not to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. "Honest and direct. Good qualities for a soldier to have. Most men are not like that, but you aren't like most men are you, Corporal?"

"I- I don't know sir. I'm just a soldier." He said.

She cocked her head and squinted her eyes slightly. "No need for humbleness. I've had a look into your files and I think Colonel Sandesh didn't waste my time when he recommended you to me."

"Colonel Sandesh?" He repeated. He hadn't seen his old Corporal in years and he's surprised the man remembered him.

"He said you were the top of your class, back when you were a new recruit. A natural team leader and decent with a gun. I have use for a soldier like you." Yuma said.

"For what?" He asked, "If I may ask, sir." He added, trying to be less rude to the general of the Royal Army.

Yuma unfolded her legs and leaned in. "That information is classified unless you sign a contract of confidentiality." The assistant placed a briefcase on the table and slid it to him. Raju unclipped it open and pulled out the first paper on top of the stack. Like she said, it was a contract of confidentiality, at the bottom a single line for his signature. It was basic standard stuff, the usual of a C.O.C. "I know you understand the consequences of breaking the contract, so read carefully, Corporal." Raju looked up at the ominous warning, and he couldn't help but take a brief look at the masked man. After a moment of silence, him reading and Yuma taking a sip of the tea, he finally signed the paper and handed it back to the assistant.

Yuma smiled. "Inside there is information regarding the purpose of your selection and of the mission. There is a briefing next month on the eighth, and prep training on the ninth and tenth. I look forward to seeing you there, Corporal." She got up, and so did Raju who saluted her, papers gripped in his hand.

"Sir," He said quickly, "What… exactly are we searching for in the Himalayas?"

Yuma paused in her step, and a peculiar look crossed her face, a look that sent shivers down his spine.

"An ancient artifact, Corporal." Yuma said, "A _Relic_."


End file.
